> On Aug 29, 11:09am, Richard Earnshaw wrote:
> } > jnemeth@victoria.tc.ca (John Nemeth) writes:
> } > > } co-ordinate -> coordinate, etc. Igor Sobrado, PR misc/19813
> } > >
> } > > Actually, the first is correct.
> } >
> } > The Merriam Webster Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary
> } > both disagree with you. I tend to believe them.
> }
> } Fowler (Modern English Usage)[1] prefers dropping the hyphen in this case.
> }
> } In fact, he goes on to say that for technical words then the hyphen should
> } generally be dropped *if the reader can be expected to know the word
> } already*.
> }
> } It's really a matter of flow: if the reader would have to pause and go
> } back and re-read what was written a second time, then a hyphen would
> } probably be required; otherwise, it's safe to drop it. Hence unusual
> } combinations of words should probably be hyphenated, but common word pairs
> } need not be.
>
> A prefix isn't a word. The original example deals with prepending
> a prefix to word, not smashing two unrelated words together.
Strictly correct, but misses the point entirely (and I note that you
haven't used pre-pending and un-related :-).
The article I was quoting from in Fowler was referring specifically to the
co- prefix. He goes on to divide usage into 6 categories (I've
paraphrased very slightly, but only for brevity):
1 Hyphen never used (eg coalesce, coagulate)
2 So common that recognition by the reader can be expected (coefficient
cooperate coordinate)
3 Used and seen only by specialists (coaxial coseismal)
4 Always have a hyphen to indicate that the spelling is intentional
(co-religionist)
5 To avoid readability problems where syllables appear misplaced if not
hyphenated (co-latitue co-tidal)
6 When creating a new co- word (co-secretary, co-authorship)
Interestingly, he puts coordinate in category 2 and not 3.
R.